MEDITERRANEAN TALES (ACROSS THE WATERS)

If you're just getting in to Triumvirat, one of the things you will hear repeated often is that they are ELP clones or rip off ELP. As Mediterranean Tales shows, they actually got their start imitating the Nice. I think it's more than a little harsh to call them rip offers. One thing is for certain, keyboardist Hans-Jürgen Fritz was a big admirer of Keith Emerson and it shows in this band.

This album, as I have said, is done pretty much in the style of the Nice (some stylistic elements of ELP inevitably creep in as it came out in 1972), but they do have their own take on it. If you're not familiar with the work of the Nice, I can best describe the music as classical/rock fusion. The liner notes quote the original pres release "Classical sounds, drum breaks, a remarkable number of rhythm breaks, mixed with the drive and vitality of rock music".

The album opens with a six part mini-epic Across the Waters, which is very heavily classical influenced in the instrumental sections. Eleven Kids is very reminiscent of the more risqué songs by the Nice (like Daddy, Where Did I Come From?). A little ditty about a woman who apparently sleeps around a lot without using contraception. Great progressive instrumental middle section (lots of time changes). Doesn't really fit the rest of the song, but you're glad to have it there. E Minor 5/9 is a nice dark instrumental. Think King Crimson's The Devil's Triangle, only not directly based on an actual classical piece. Broken Mirror wrapped up the original LP. Starts off with a very classical piano solo, then the electronic instruments and drums kick in and you have a straightforward energetic prog song. The vocal bit at the end is a little schizophrenic, but the album eventually ends on a high climactic note. There's two good bonus tracks and two throwaways. The first two are singles versions of music taken from the original album. The two other bonus tracks were released the following year as a single. Ride In The Night is a vocal song, interesting, commercial potential, but you can see that it didn't really fit with the original album (Mediterranean Tales) nor the one to come(Illusions On A Double Dimple). Same goes for Sing Me A Song.

There is no better time than the present to get into this band as the entire back catalog has been remastered. Their website is also promising a new album, but that project seems to have stalled out.

Share this TRIUMVIRAT review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Slartibartfast
• Report this review (#165475)
• Buy TRIUMVIRAT music online with PA partners
• Show all TRIUMVIRAT MP3/Stream
• Go to TRIUMVIRAT page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Mediterranean Tales (Across the Waters) page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for TRIUMVIRAT related discussions